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Andrew Suknaski
Andrew Suknaski (July 30, 1942 - May 3, 2012) was a Canadian poet and visual artist. Life Suknaski was born on a homestead near Wood Mountain, Saskatchewan. He studied at a number of institutions, receiving a diploma of Fine Arts from the Kootenay School of Art in 1967. He was an editor for Anak Press and Deodar Shadow Press, and founded the underground magazine Elfin Plot in Vancouver in 1969. Suknaski appeared on the Canadian literary scene in 2 influential anthologies, Storm Warning (1971, edited by Al Purdy), and Four Parts Sand which also featured Judith Copithorne, bill bissett, and Earle Birney. His debut collection was Wood Mountain Poems (1976, edited by Purdy), followed by The Ghosts Call You Poor (1978) and In The Name of Narid (1981). From 1977 to 1978, Suknaski was writer in residence at St. John's College, University of Manitoba. Suknaski also worked as a researcher for the National Film Board of Canada, contributing to such films as Grain Elevator (1981), by Charles Konowal, and The Disinherited (1985), by Harvey Spak.Shelley Sweeney, The Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan. Suknaski was also known for erratic acts of poetry. He once launched poems that had been folded into paper airplanes from an airplane flying over Edmonton, Alberta and he, along with Al Purdy, launched poems in bottles down the Saskatchewan River. Suknaski stopped writing in the 1980s. He died in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, on May 3, 2012. Lindy Ledohowski, Andrew Suknaski, Canadian Encyclopedia. Web, Sep. 11, 2012. Writing Suknaski’s Polish and Ukrainian heritage, and his concern for First Nations people and for the history and culture of the Canadian prairies, are strongly reflected in his work. His last full length book was Silk Trail, which takes a very Poundian look at the construction of the transcontinental railway and the Chinese immigrant labourers (known as "coolies") that were integral to its success. Montage for an Interstellar Cry (1982) and Silk Trail (1985) were conceived as the 1st and 3rd parts respectively of a larger work, Celestial Mechanics. The 2nd part ("Divining the West") and the 4th ("Ussuri Line") remain unfinished.Biography, Andrew Suknaski, University of Manitoba. Web, May 24, 2015. Recognition The Ghosts Call You Poor received the Canadian Authors Association Poetry Award in 1979. Suknaski was also honoured with a lifetime membership in the League of Canadian Poets.Andrew Suknaski, Saskatchewan Arts Board. Web, May 24, 2015. In popular culture The National Film Board celebrated his Wood Mountain Poems with a documentary film featuring the author and his native Wood Mountain, Saskatchewan. In 1978, Spak made a documentary about Suknaski, Wood Mountain Poems. Publications Poetry *''Avalanche / Brown / "Chainsaw man": A mixed media book''. Film Press, 1969. *''In mind ov xrossroads ov mythologies''. Wood Mountain, SK: Deodar Shadow Press, 1971. *''Rose Far in the East''. Toronto: Ganglia Press, 1971? *''The Nightwatchman''. Wood Mountain, SK: Anak Press, 1972. *''The Zen Pilgrimage''. Wood Mountain, SK: Anak Press, 1972. *''Old Mill''. Vancouver: blewointmentpress, 1972. *''Suicide Notes: Book I''. Wood Mountain, SK: Sundog Press, 1973. *''Philip Well''. Prince George, BC: Caledonia Writing Series, 1973. *''Leaving''. Seven Person, AB: Repository Press, 1974. *''Wood Mountain Poems'' (edited by Al Purdy). Toronto: Macmillan, 1976; Regina, SK: Hagios Press, 2006. *''Leaving Wood Mountain''. Wood Mountain, SK: Sundog Press, 1975. *''Blind Man's House''. Wood Mountain, SK: Anak Press, 1975. *''Writing on Stone: Poem drawings, 1966-1976''. Wood Mountain, SK: Anak Press, 1976. *''On First Looking Down from Lions Gate Bridge''. Coatsworth, ON: Black Moss, 1976. *''Octomi: Poems''. Saskatoon, SK: Thistledown Press, 1976. *''Moses Beauchamp: For Mike Otto''. Winnipeg, MB: Turnstone Press, 1978. *''The Ghosts Call You Poor''. Toronto: Macmillan, 1978. *''East of Myloona''. Saskatoon, SK: Thistledown Press, 1979. *''The Ghost Gun''. Toronto: League of Canadian Poets, 1980? *''In the Name of Narid: New poems'' (edited by Dennis Cooley). Erin, ON: Porcupines Quill, 1981. *''Montage for an Interstellar Cry''. Winnipeg, MB: Turnstone Press, 1982. *''The Land They Gave away: New and selected poems'' (edited by Stephen Scobie). Edmonton, AB: NeWest Press, 1982. *''Silk Trail''. Toronto: Nightwood Editions, 1985. *''There is No Mountain: Selected poems'' (edited by Rob McLennan). Ottawa: Chaudiere Books, 2007. Anthologized *''Storm Warning: The new Canadian poets'' (edited by Al Purdy). Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 1971.Search results = Storm Warning Purdy, WorldCat, OCLC Online Computer Library Center Inc. Web, May 24, 2015. * Four Parts Sand: New Canadian poets. (edited by Earle Birney). Ottawa: Oberon Press, 1972.Search results = Four parts sand, WorldCat, OCLC Online Computer Library Center Inc. Web, May 24, 2015. Except where noted, bibliographical information courtesy WorldCat.Search results = au:Andrew Suknaski, WorldCat, OCLC Online Computer Library Center Inc. Web, May 24, 2015. Audio / video *''Wood Mountain Poems'' (film). Montreal: National Film Board of Canada, 1978. See also *Saskatchewan poets *List of Canadian poets References Fonds *Inventory of Andrew Suknaski papers at University of Manitoba Archives Notes External links ;Audio / video *[https://www.nfb.ca/film/wood_mountain_poems Wood Mountain Poems] at the National Film Board of Canada ;Books *Andrew Suknaski at Amazon.com *;About *Andrew Suknaski in the Canadian Encyclopedia *Suknaski, Andrew (1942-) at the Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan *Andrew Suknaski: Poet of the prairies", Maple Tree Literary Supplement, 2010. *Andrew Suknaski (1942-2012) obituary at the Ukrainian-Canadian Congress. *"Remembering Andrew Suknaski, Wood Mountain Poems" by Dennis Greunding. ;Etc. *Inventory of Andrew Suknaski's papers at the University of Manitoba Archives & Special Collections Category:1942 births Category:2012 deaths Category:Writers from Saskatchewan Category:Canadian modernist poets Category:University of Manitoba faculty Category:National Film Board of Canada people Category:20th-century Canadian poets Category:20th-century poets Category:Canadian poets Category:English-language poets Category:Poets Category:Saskatchewan poets